Lost Garmin, Can I Use Droid to Hide?

[+Lewis and Clark's Kids]

Hello everyone,

I lost my garmin and was wondering if anyone knows about the accuracy of

getting coordinates when using a Droid. I don't want to get coords and

have them be way off. Also, if anyone does do this, could you tell me what

app to download that will offer me reliable coordinates? Thanks for any help.

I'm getting the itch to put together some "wikah kewl" hides in Rhode Island!

 

Lewis and Clark's kids

[+WRASTRO]

Most of my recent finds have been with my Droid so I think it is reasonably accurate. I haven't tried getting coordinates to hide any just using the Droid so I can't speak to that. My impression is the Droid is better for coordinates than the Apple thingy.

[+dfx]

Relax

Don't do it

When you wanna go to it

Relax

Don't do it

[+mpilchfamily]

Droid is fine for finding a cache but not for hiding one. Smart phones don't have a full GPSr in them. They can link up with one or 2 sats then it uses triangulation of cell towers to refine the position. So they aren't as accurate as a good hand held receiver. You may want to hold off on hiding more caches till you can replace your GPSr.

[+gpsfun]

I have been doing some testing for publication in a Knowledge Books article on the site and I can say that coordinates taken with my Samsung Fascinate using the Groundspeak application are quite close to coordinates taken with my Garmin 60CSx.

 

HOWEVER, it is necessary to do the things with the cell phone that some of the old timers did with early GPS receivers, and that is to take multiple readings and make a note of them until you find at least three or four sets of coordinates that are pretty close to the same. Between readings, walk away from GZ and then approach GZ from a different direction. At that point, disregard the outliers and average the ones that are close together. I have done this under a completely clear sky and in a fairly heavy pine forest and I got coordinates that were within just a few feet of what my Garmin got using the same process.

 

Observations:

 

1. Upon arriving at a location and enabling the phone's GPS feature, a minute or two might elapse before the phone's GPS figures out where it is. This is not unlike traveling several miles from home before turning on a hand held GPSr, but it could take a bit longer. The only way I have found to determine that the phone GPS has synced up is to look at a geocaching map and noting that my position is shown accurately. If you are in an area with no landmarks, that might be difficult.

 

2. At one point I noticed that having my GPSr turned on near my phone seemed to cause the phone's accuracy to diminish sharply. This observation has not been validated or verified, but I have that on my list of things to do.

 

This is not an endorsement of the performance of every phone on the market. Your mileage may vary.

[+dfx]

Droid is fine for finding a cache but not for hiding one. Smart phones don't have a full GPSr in them. They can link up with one or 2 sats then it uses triangulation of cell towers to refine the position.

 

That's not correct, most modern smartphones have a full-blown GPS receiver chip in them. However, their reception qualities are much worse than those of a dedicated GPS receiver, and that's why they're less accurate and suffer from position variance much more.

Edited March 19, 2011 by dfx

[+ocklawahaboy]

I've found my last 175 caches with my droid 2. Some days it takes me right to the cache. Other days it gets me within about 20ft at best. I don't think I would use it to hide without a secondary way to verify the coords, ie landmarks, google maps, another gpsr etc.

[+Lil Devil]

Here is my experience with hiding a cache using my Droid. Start at the bottom and read upwards through two coordinate changes. This was the day after I completely destroyed my 60CSx. I did everything I should have. Multiple readings, walking away and back from different directions, etc. I still managed to post the cache using parking coordinates. Then when I noticed that mistake, I found another set of 4 coords in my file. I averaged them and updated the cache coords. That at least got the next searchers onto the right hill, but I was still 114 feet off. Last month I drove past there again and checked the coords with my new 62s and they're dead on, thanks to the first finders.

 

I meant what I said in that 2nd coordinate update, I'll never use my Droid to hide a cache again.

[+keehotee]

Droid is fine for finding a cache but not for hiding one. Smart phones don't have a full GPSr in them. They can link up with one or 2 sats then it uses triangulation of cell towers to refine the position.

 

That's not correct, most modern smartphones have a full-blown GPS receiver chip in them. However, their reception qualities are much worse than those of a dedicated GPS receiver, and that's why they're less accurate and suffer from position variance much more.

 

Odd. My phone's usually very accurate, straight off - verified with my Oregon 550 and by pulling up maps.

Perhaps I should send it back for a refund?? :laughing:

[+GeoGeeBee]

Droid is fine for finding a cache but not for hiding one. Smart phones don't have a full GPSr in them. They can link up with one or 2 sats then it uses triangulation of cell towers to refine the position. So they aren't as accurate as a good hand held receiver.

 

I don't mean to pick on you, several people have posted similar comments in this thread. And many people have posted similar comments in numerous other threads.

 

The people who have posted those comments appear to have very limited experience with actually using a cell phone GPS. My HTC EVO is at least as accurate as my Garmin eTrex. I wouldn't hesitate to use it to hide a cache.

 

But it is true that different phones use different chipsets, and different software. I wouldn't have hidden a cache with my old BlackBerry. Whatever you are using, you need to know your equipment.

[+dfx]

That's not correct, most modern smartphones have a full-blown GPS receiver chip in them. However, their reception qualities are much worse than those of a dedicated GPS receiver, and that's why they're less accurate and suffer from position variance much more.

 

Odd. My phone's usually very accurate, straight off - verified with my Oregon 550 and by pulling up maps.

 

The highlighted word means that you agree with me.

[+keehotee]

That's not correct, most modern smartphones have a full-blown GPS receiver chip in them. However, their reception qualities are much worse than those of a dedicated GPS receiver, and that's why they're less accurate and suffer from position variance much more.

 

Odd. My phone's usually very accurate, straight off - verified with my Oregon 550 and by pulling up maps.

 

The highlighted word means that you agree with me.

 

Not quite - unless your telepathy extends to knowing how accurate it is the rest of the time...?

[+dfx]

Not quite - unless your telepathy extends to knowing how accurate it is the rest of the time...?

 

Ah, so you meant to say that usually it's very accurate, and the rest of the time it's even more accurate. Right.

[+Vodor and Scorsby]

Hi there.

 

We are getting a lot of problems in the UK with people trying to set caches using mobile phones and iphones. Some of them are leading people all over the shop. The local reviewers are now disabling them immediatly because of the problems for example this is one of the 3 this week disabled by one of our reviers in the local area.

 

____________________________________________________

 

March 10 by Lindinis (4 found)

 

Hi,

I have disabled your cache to give you the oppertunity to check and submit the correct coordinates for this cache.

I do not know what GPS device you have used to set this cache, but there are an increasing number of problems from cachers using smart phones.

 

The iPhone, Android and Blackberry geocaching applications are fine for finding caches but when you place a cache you need to record the coordinates accurately. The smart phone uses both the GPS and the mobile radio signal (triangulation) to determine its position. If you have a poor GPS signal you may not know how inaccurate it is. In the case of the iPhone you'll see the accuracy figure will never go below 56 feet. This is determined by the GPS chipset in the phone. When placing a cache the accuracy needs to be better than around 25 feet if at all possible.

 

Using Google maps or simular also have an inherent inaccuracy and must not be relied upon for determining coordinates. The geocaching.com guidelines say that a GPS must be used when setting a cache.If you do not have a dedicated GPS reciever, maybe you could borrow one from another cacher or have someone take the coordinate readings for you.

 

I recommend you take a look at (visit link) (click the 'GPS-Coords-Maps' button and scroll down to the iPhone section. This website is excellent for general help and advice too.

 

I am temporarily disabling your cache so you can provide the information. When you're ready you can send me an email and I will check it and re-enable it. Please include the cache number in any correspondence otherwist I will not know which cache it refers to.

 

Regards

 

Lindinis (Ernie)

Volunteer UK Reviewer - geocaching.com

 

UK Geocaching Information & Resources (visit link)

Cache Guidelines: (visit link)

Knowlege Books: (visit link)

 

____________________________________________________

 

Another one which was disabled yesterday was one that led to quite a few problems including a cacher who ended up having to cross barb wire fences - http://coord.info/GC2Q3V7

 

If I were setting a caches series out I would ask if any of your geocaching friends locally have a GPS you could borrow or even ask if they would be willing to take readings for you.

 

Even using an Oregon I spend at least 20mins at any cache I place using the averaging function to get an accurate reading of the coords.

[+keehotee]

Not quite - unless your telepathy extends to knowing how accurate it is the rest of the time...?

 

Ah, so you meant to say that usually it's very accurate, and the rest of the time it's even more accurate. Right.

 

Not at all - the rest of the time I'm out of data range, or don't have my GPS with me - so have no way to verify the accuracy

[+LukeTrocity]

Ill put on my flame suit to say the following:

 

I have had several situations where my Droid Incredible was more accurate than my Oregon 450, and one such situation happened this past weekend. Oregon had me 60ft away from GZ, fired up the droid and it brought me within 3...( which of course my wife took to time to point out I spent 250$ on the Oregon....)

 

If you do it right, you can use a smartphone to place a cache. I can't vouch for all of them, but I can for my Droid Incredible

Edited March 20, 2011 by LukeTrocity

[Johnnycat]

I have been using my t-mobile G2 with real good results. 2 caches were within 6 feet using the compass and the others were within a foot using the radar. If I was to set a cache I would use a real GPSr

[+sidekeck]

My Droid Incredible is far more accurate than my Garmin eTrex. I did an experiment with a friend--marking a cache location with his Oregon, my Incredible and Garmin. The Oregon and Incredible came back with the exact same coordinates and the Garmin was off by several feet.

 

I've now relegated the Garmin to bike duty and use the Incredible for everything else.

[+EScout]

I have a Droid X and it compares closely to my other handheld GPSrs. It does not have WAAS like the GPSrs. I have not tested it on a super accurate benchmark like I have with my GPSrs. To use it to place a cache, I would take a reading on at least 2 or 3 days and average.

Edited March 20, 2011 by EScout

[+Sol seaker]

A lot of the posts in this thread that support using the phone are saying, "It is as accurate as my Garmin" without saying WHAT it is accurate at. Many of them even imply they are talking about finding coords rather than creating coords.

 

I've got a friend who began caching with a smart-phone. After she got a lot of really angry cachers leaving her nasty notes about her caches, her and I went around and got coords for her caches with my Garmin. Some were over 100 feet off.

 

By the way, when she LOOKED for caches, it was only off 20 feet or so.

 

If you decide you just HAVE TO place caches with a smart-phone, be sure to average multiple coordinate readings, and be sure to walk away (more than 100 feet) and then come back multiple times, trying to find the cache using your coordinates. Then keep a careful watch on the logs on your cache and be prepared, if needed to find someone with a Garmin to update the coords.

[+snapshot7]

Hello everyone,

I lost my garmin and was wondering if anyone knows about the accuracy of

getting coordinates when using a Droid. I don't want to get coords and

have them be way off. Also, if anyone does do this, could you tell me what

app to download that will offer me reliable coordinates? Thanks for any help.

I'm getting the itch to put together some "wikah kewl" hides in Rhode Island!

 

Lewis and Clark's kids

 

I use my Android (GPS Averaging app) for some of my hides and it produces some pretty good coords. Sometimes depending on the location (like trees and building around) the coord are way off...and when that happens I just use this. The site works well, GZ is always within 2-6ft of the cache.

Edited March 20, 2011 by snapshot7

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Hello everyone,

I lost my garmin and was wondering if anyone knows about the accuracy of

getting coordinates when using a Droid. I don't want to get coords and

have them be way off. Also, if anyone does do this, could you tell me what

app to download that will offer me reliable coordinates? Thanks for any help.

I'm getting the itch to put together some "wikah kewl" hides in Rhode Island!

 

Lewis and Clark's kids

 

I use my Android (GPS Averaging app) for some of my hides and it produces some pretty good coords. Sometimes depending on the location (like trees and building around) the coord are way off...and when that happens I just use this. The site works well, GZ is always within 2-6ft of the cache.

It is still a bad choice to rely on maps. Especially computer generated maps. It may well be accurate on your side of town, not so on the other side. You just never know. That is why the guidelines say that you need to use a GPSr to obtain the coords. If mapping were so good, I think they probably would've changed the guidelines to include such by now.

[+LukeTrocity]

A lot of the posts in this thread that support using the phone are saying, "It is as accurate as my Garmin" without saying WHAT it is accurate at. Many of them even imply they are talking about finding coords rather than creating coords.

 

I've got a friend who began caching with a smart-phone. After she got a lot of really angry cachers leaving her nasty notes about her caches, her and I went around and got coords for her caches with my Garmin. Some were over 100 feet off.

 

By the way, when she LOOKED for caches, it was only off 20 feet or so.

 

If you decide you just HAVE TO place caches with a smart-phone, be sure to average multiple coordinate readings, and be sure to walk away (more than 100 feet) and then come back multiple times, trying to find the cache using your coordinates. Then keep a careful watch on the logs on your cache and be prepared, if needed to find someone with a Garmin to update the coords.

Sorry. Its as accurate when checked against a benchmark.

[+Don_J]

A lot of the posts in this thread that support using the phone are saying, "It is as accurate as my Garmin" without saying WHAT it is accurate at. Many of them even imply they are talking about finding coords rather than creating coords.

 

I've got a friend who began caching with a smart-phone. After she got a lot of really angry cachers leaving her nasty notes about her caches, her and I went around and got coords for her caches with my Garmin. Some were over 100 feet off.

 

By the way, when she LOOKED for caches, it was only off 20 feet or so.

 

If you decide you just HAVE TO place caches with a smart-phone, be sure to average multiple coordinate readings, and be sure to walk away (more than 100 feet) and then come back multiple times, trying to find the cache using your coordinates. Then keep a careful watch on the logs on your cache and be prepared, if needed to find someone with a Garmin to update the coords.

Sorry. Its as accurate when checked against a benchmark.

 

If you save a waypoint at that benchmark and walk away a couple hundred of feet, will it bring you back to it?

 

This is the issue that is being discussed.

 

Around here, we get new cachers getting a cache published and then updating the coordinates a dozen times. When you look at their logs on the caches they have found, you see the obnoxious, "found with my whatever phone", so I can only surmise they are using that phone to hide their caches and each time they go back, they get a different set of coordinates.

Edited March 20, 2011 by Don_J

[+LukeTrocity]

A lot of the posts in this thread that support using the phone are saying, "It is as accurate as my Garmin" without saying WHAT it is accurate at. Many of them even imply they are talking about finding coords rather than creating coords.

 

I've got a friend who began caching with a smart-phone. After she got a lot of really angry cachers leaving her nasty notes about her caches, her and I went around and got coords for her caches with my Garmin. Some were over 100 feet off.

 

By the way, when she LOOKED for caches, it was only off 20 feet or so.

 

If you decide you just HAVE TO place caches with a smart-phone, be sure to average multiple coordinate readings, and be sure to walk away (more than 100 feet) and then come back multiple times, trying to find the cache using your coordinates. Then keep a careful watch on the logs on your cache and be prepared, if needed to find someone with a Garmin to update the coords.

Sorry. Its as accurate when checked against a benchmark.

 

If you save a waypoint at that benchmark and walk away a couple hundred of feet, will it bring you back to it?

 

This is the issue that is being discussed.

 

Around here, we get new cachers getting a cache published and then updating the coordinates a dozen times. When you look at their logs on the caches they have found, you see the obnoxious, "found with my whatever phone", so I can only surmise they are using that phone to hide their caches and each time they go back, they get a different set of coordinates.

Check the thread in my sig. New cachers probably don't know how to properly hide caches to begin with. Phone or not. The issue is being new, and everyone was new at one point.

 

In summation I'll say this. Has anyone ever found a cache with bad coordinates taken with a traditional gpsr?

[+DiscipleGeek]

There is a great Droid app for getting GPS coordinates called GPS Averaging. Does a great job getting coordinates and lessens the chance of an accidental inaccurate reading.

[+dfx]

In summation I'll say this. Has anyone ever found a cache with bad coordinates taken with a traditional gpsr?

 

Not as many as caches that had bad coordinates and were either placed with a phone or via Google maps. That's the root of the whole issue.

[+northernpenguin]

Well, on my Colorado 400t, I use the GPS Averaging function.

Guess what I do on my iPhone? Same thing. Average the coordinates. As the catchline goes.... there's an app for that.

 

It's also important to be aware of your device's capabilities! Take some waypoints, and come back a few days later. Does your phone lead you back to the same spot?

 

The iPhone 4 vs the iPhone 3G is like comparing an Oregon to an original eTrex ... that's wrapped in tin foil.

Same goes for my HTC Devices. My HTC Touch Pro 2 was fairly decent (not as good as my iPhone 4) but my HTC Touch (vogue) may as well be encased in a lead block. All of them have a dedicated GPS chip.

[+dfx]

It's also important to be aware of your device's capabilities! Take some waypoints, and come back a few days later. Does your phone lead you back to the same spot?

 

The iPhone 4 vs the iPhone 3G is like comparing an Oregon to an original eTrex ... that's wrapped in tin foil.

Same goes for my HTC Devices. My HTC Touch Pro 2 was fairly decent (not as good as my iPhone 4) but my HTC Touch (vogue) may as well be encased in a lead block. All of them have a dedicated GPS chip.

 

The problem is that most smartphone users are totally oblivious about this point. I vividly remember a multitude of threads and posts of iphone 3 users who advocated that their phone was "just as accurate as their GPS". They even told people that there's no need for averaging - just let the phone sit there and then take a screenshot (!) of the displayed coordinates, and that it's gonna be fine like that, because that's how they hide their caches and nobody ever complained about bad coordinates. What do you think is gonna happen when a newbie who wants to place his first cache reads that?

 

The same goes for all other phones. "My HTC xxxx is waaaay more accurate than my Garmin", just because the silly c:geo shows a ridiculous accuracy rating of +-1 meter. The list goes on. That's why the only good answer to the question from the OP is a uniform "don't do it".

[+Semper Questio]

We have a relatively new hider locally that uses his iPhone for hiding and his coords are always off a good bit initially. He even acknowledges this fact on his cache pages, asking the FTF to provide better coordinates which, to his credit, he then uses to update the coords on his cache listing. It would appear he just takes a snap reading and does now averaging to try to get better initial numbers.

 

I would say either use your Droid if you will take the time to do it right or don't do any hiding until you can buy or borrow a better device.

[+GeoGeeBee]

In summation I'll say this. Has anyone ever found a cache with bad coordinates taken with a traditional gpsr?

 

Not as many as caches that had bad coordinates and were either placed with a phone or via Google maps. That's the root of the whole issue.

 

You must have some strange sort of ESP that allows you to determine how the CO took the coordinates for every cache you have found.

[+Castle Mischief]

It's also important to be aware of your device's capabilities! Take some waypoints, and come back a few days later. Does your phone lead you back to the same spot?

 

The iPhone 4 vs the iPhone 3G is like comparing an Oregon to an original eTrex ... that's wrapped in tin foil.

Same goes for my HTC Devices. My HTC Touch Pro 2 was fairly decent (not as good as my iPhone 4) but my HTC Touch (vogue) may as well be encased in a lead block. All of them have a dedicated GPS chip.

 

The problem is that most smartphone users are totally oblivious about this point. I vividly remember a multitude of threads and posts of iphone 3 users who advocated that their phone was "just as accurate as their GPS". They even told people that there's no need for averaging - just let the phone sit there and then take a screenshot (!) of the displayed coordinates, and that it's gonna be fine like that, because that's how they hide their caches and nobody ever complained about bad coordinates. What do you think is gonna happen when a newbie who wants to place his first cache reads that?

 

The same goes for all other phones. "My HTC xxxx is waaaay more accurate than my Garmin", just because the silly c:geo shows a ridiculous accuracy rating of +-1 meter. The list goes on. That's why the only good answer to the question from the OP is a uniform "don't do it".

 

Side by side, my HTC Droid consistantly reads the same position (give or take a digit) as my aging eXplorist 210 and the Nuvi we keep in the car.

 

The mistakes you list as being unique to smartphone users are the same mistakes that new hiders have been making on other platforms.

[+JL_HSTRE]

I've had great success with hides with my Motorola Droid. Use the Radar app or similiar to check your GPS accuracy; I nearly always get 6-10 ft accuracy. Remember to give it a minute or two to settle down.

 

Watch out for tree cover though - I don't think Droids handle that as well as regular GPS.

[+dfx]

You must have some strange sort of ESP that allows you to determine how the CO took the coordinates for every cache you have found.

 

You must be a geocaching hermit if you don't know your local COs and what devices they cache with.

[+GeoGeeBee]

You must have some strange sort of ESP that allows you to determine how the CO took the coordinates for every cache you have found.

 

You must be a geocaching hermit if you don't know your local COs and what devices they cache with.

 

I must be. I know most of the CO's by their usernames, and the style of the caches that they own. I have no idea what kind of car they drive, or GPS they own, or if they have a dog.

 

But if you are basing it on your personal observations, I would suggest that what is at work here is what statisticians call "observer bias." If you found 99 hides that had good coordinates, and 50 of them were hidden using a phone, you'd never notice it. When you find one with bad coordinates buy it's owned by a cacher on your "nice" list, you shrug it off. When you find one with bad coordinates hidden by someone who you know uses a phone, that one sticks in your mind.

 

You know that you have found some caches with bad coordinates which were hidden using a phone. That is not enough evidence to assume that all caches hidden with phones have bad coordinates.

[+dfx]

But if you are basing it on your personal observations, I would suggest that what is at work here is what statisticians call "observer bias." If you found 99 hides that had good coordinates, and 50 of them were hidden using a phone, you'd never notice it. When you find one with bad coordinates buy it's owned by a cacher on your "nice" list, you shrug it off. When you find one with bad coordinates hidden by someone who you know uses a phone, that one sticks in your mind.

 

You know that you have found some caches with bad coordinates which were hidden using a phone. That is not enough evidence to assume that all caches hidden with phones have bad coordinates.

 

I'm not assuming that all caches hidden with phones have bad coordinates, I never even indicated anything like that. That's an incorrect conclusion you've drawn, based on incorrect assumptions on your behalf. And the remaining assumptions and conclusions in your post are just as incorrect.

[+TXHooligans]

there are 2 tools in the android market i know of that will average and give good coords...

 

first is gpsfix and the other is gpsaverage. i would not place a cache without one of these apps or a gpsr that did the averaging for you..

 

works great on the droid x

 

each phone is different in construction which has a large impact on how accurate that thing will be.. some phones are good and some suck.

 

i have also noticed that some days, they all suck.. gpsr's included.

[+nittanycopa]

A lot of the posts in this thread that support using the phone are saying, "It is as accurate as my Garmin" without saying WHAT it is accurate at. Many of them even imply they are talking about finding coords rather than creating coords.

 

I've got a friend who began caching with a smart-phone. After she got a lot of really angry cachers leaving her nasty notes about her caches, her and I went around and got coords for her caches with my Garmin. Some were over 100 feet off.

 

By the way, when she LOOKED for caches, it was only off 20 feet or so.

 

If you decide you just HAVE TO place caches with a smart-phone, be sure to average multiple coordinate readings, and be sure to walk away (more than 100 feet) and then come back multiple times, trying to find the cache using your coordinates. Then keep a careful watch on the logs on your cache and be prepared, if needed to find someone with a Garmin to update the coords.

Sorry. Its as accurate when checked against a benchmark.

 

If you save a waypoint at that benchmark and walk away a couple hundred of feet, will it bring you back to it?

 

This is the issue that is being discussed.

 

Around here, we get new cachers getting a cache published and then updating the coordinates a dozen times. When you look at their logs on the caches they have found, you see the obnoxious, "found with my whatever phone", so I can only surmise they are using that phone to hide their caches and each time they go back, they get a different set of coordinates.

Check the thread in my sig. New cachers probably don't know how to properly hide caches to begin with. Phone or not. The issue is being new, and everyone was new at one point.

 

In summation I'll say this. Has anyone ever found a cache with bad coordinates taken with a traditional gpsr?

 

I can cite 60 of them here in the Lehigh Valley that are pretty far off the actual GZ and were most definitely hidden with GPS units.

 

I've hidden 3 with my iPhone so far. No complaints on these and I'm a relatively "new" (*gasp!*) cacher having only started this last November. Have 5 puzzles in the works and will use the iPhone. Someone else mentioned here it's best to take an average of the coords. I do this. I'll also have my boyfriend come along on the hide and check the coords on his Droid for an average. It's also not a bad idea (especially if the hide location is a prominent feature) to check it against Google maps.

[+nittanycopa]

I've had great success with hides with my Motorola Droid. Use the Radar app or similiar to check your GPS accuracy; I nearly always get 6-10 ft accuracy. Remember to give it a minute or two to settle down.

 

Watch out for tree cover though - I don't think Droids handle that as well as regular GPS.

 

Concrete structures and rock walls will bounce as well. If I am planning a hide in any "bouncy" areas, and I should have added this above, I will probably consult my eTrex along with my iPhone.

[+niraD]

Watch out for tree cover though - I don't think Droids handle that as well as regular GPS.

Yeah, my experience has been that my Android phones have been pretty similar to my old yellow eTrex. Their accuracy is comparable, and they all lose their lock under heavy tree cover or in other situations where satellite reception is very poor.

 

If you don't trust the accuracy of your coordinates (e.g., because you aren't using a dedicated handheld unit with a high-sensitivity receiver), then test them. As has been suggested before, enter your tentative coordinates into your device and approach the cache location from at least 100' away. Then repeat the process, approaching from another direction. Repeat the process from another direction or two. The arrow should consistently point at the cache, regardless of the direction of approach. If it doesn't, then fix the coordinates and test them again. To be extra sure, repeat the test later when the satellites are in a different configuration.

[+TXHooligans]

Never grust the arrow on your gpsr unless it has a magnetic compass. I find much more success following the diatance number decreasing. If you arent running the arrow will wander alot.

[+LukeTrocity]

But if you are basing it on your personal observations, I would suggest that what is at work here is what statisticians call "observer bias." If you found 99 hides that had good coordinates, and 50 of them were hidden using a phone, you'd never notice it. When you find one with bad coordinates buy it's owned by a cacher on your "nice" list, you shrug it off. When you find one with bad coordinates hidden by someone who you know uses a phone, that one sticks in your mind.

 

You know that you have found some caches with bad coordinates which were hidden using a phone. That is not enough evidence to assume that all caches hidden with phones have bad coordinates.

 

I'm not assuming that all caches hidden with phones have bad coordinates, I never even indicated anything like that. That's an incorrect conclusion you've drawn, based on incorrect assumptions on your behalf. And the remaining assumptions and conclusions in your post are just as incorrect.

 

So we can safely assume a phone can give good coordinates as well?

[+TXHooligans]

Yes it can... If used properly.

[+LukeTrocity]

Yes it can... If used properly.

 

I know that, but others seem to think differently.

[+dfx]

Yes it can... If used properly.

 

I know that, but others seem to think differently.

 

In case you're refering to me: every method of measurement can give you good coordinates. You can also take out a map and a ruler and measure the coordinates using those. That can also give you good coordinates. It's just a matter of how difficult it is to perform the measurement to give you coordinates with the desired accuracy, and how (un)likely it is to produce the desired result and if it didn't, how big the average error is.

[+roziecakes]

My husband's droid seems to be quite accurate on some days, and not on others. We've done comparisons with my handheld, and it just is not as accurate, especially under trees or in other rural areas. I don't know enough about how the phone's GPS works or is intended to work, but for hiding it just doesn't seem to cut it. The one cache he hid with the phone ended up having bad coords and he had to go alllllll the way back out into BFE with my GPS to redo the coords (and his puzzle), and it was a heap of work. I wouldn't trust it. For finding though, usually the phone is fine.